Fifty countries on Monday signed a statement read during a UN debate

Fifty countries on Monday signed a statement read during a UN debate

Fifty countries on Monday signed a statement read during a UN debate

In a statement read aloud during a UN discussion on Monday, fifty nations denounced the “severe and systematic” human rights abuses occurring in China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.

The statement, read out by Canada during a discussion of the UN General Assembly Third Committee, which deals with human rights, said, “We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in the People’s Republic of China, particularly the ongoing human rights violations of Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.”

A long-awaited report on Xinjiang by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was released in August, noting potential crimes against humanity against Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region.

Beijing denies the accusations and insists that it is battling terrorism and promoting regional development.

“Curbing terrorism cannot justify such egregious and persistent breaches of human rights. We are concerned that China has so far declined to discuss the OHCHR study’s conclusions given the seriousness of that assessment, the statement continued.

The United States, Britain, Japan, France, Australia, Israel, Turkey, Guatemala, and Somalia are among the 50 signatories.

Beijing was encouraged to “follow the recommendations of the OHCHR assessment,” which include “taking swift actions to free all persons arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang, and to urgently ascertain the fate and whereabouts of missing family members and ensure safe contact and reunion.”